Secrets
by ascended ancient
Summary: No one could hide anything from Azula right? And even if they could, Ty Lee wouldn't be the one to do it, and even if she was, what would she possibly have to hide from the princess anyway? And if the princess ever found out, would she help keep it a secret? (Boilerplate: I do not own avatar, or any of the characters from the series, they belong to nickelodeon or their creators)


**No one could hide anything from Azula right? And even if they could, Ty Lee wouldn't be the one to do it, and even if she was, what would she possibly have to hide from the princess anyway? And if the princess ever found out, would she help keep it a secret?**

 _Azula looked down at the throne room, six generals were face down on the floor prostrate before her. A small smirk graced her lips as she looked at the generals that were before her, finally this was her throne, she was Fire Lord. Azure flames lit the room, she was finally in control._

 _A small humanoid figure entered the room, it didn't stop to bow merely cartwheeling over her flames and up the steps to the dais on which Azula sat. Azula turned her head and familiar features filled her vision, gave her a soft chaste kiss then the person dropped to their knees on the small cushion beside her._

 _Raising an eyebrow she was confused by the curved figures actions until she noted in the long braid sat the crown of the Fire Lady. Before she had a chance to question why the contortionist had the artefact in her hair, a fire ball flew at the throne, at_ her _Fire Lady. She was on her feet and easily blocking the projectile, looking down she saw the generals now on either side by the high pillars, still knelt but heads raised to see what would happen, standing now in the middle of the large room was her older brother moving to strike again. Sending a far larger blast of fire at him, he barely blocked the strike being knocked to the floor by the power behind it._

 _A deep breath, fire bending was in the breath, a quick arm movement and part of the wall of fire shot towards her sibling, he dodged barely, a quick punch followed arm jutting forwards, flames being summoned into existence, and was knocked aside, three blades dug into her sleeve pinning it to a small stand by her shoulder. Her brother ran, he quickly got out of the room before she could think to attack again. Her keen eyes shot to look at the person who threw the blade, they were but a shadow, that seemed familiar but couldn't be placed._

 _Azula pulled on the knives to pry her arm free, as she looked from her arm to her hidden attacker she saw another two knives held ready to be thrown. Her Fire Lady moved faster, hands extended finger jamming into the knife throwers arms, they fell limp to her sides, Azula freed her arm, moving to see who her assailant was the world slowly got darker..._

"Zula?" the heir to the Fire Nations eyes snapped open body moving bolt upright, arm extending about to send out a cerulean blast, her fingers touched the nose of the person who had dared to wake her, she froze realising who was before her and sighed, a soft squeak of a sorry came from the figure who remained frozen in place.

"Ty Lee, why are you in my tent?" if anyone else asked it would be a simple question, but the acrobat knew better and quickly shot back, dropping to a bended knee head low "I'm sorry Azula, just you seemed restless, your aura seemed so... troubled"

Azula raised a single eyebrow at the comment, had the dream troubled her? Slightly maybe, but enough to make her restless? No she didn't think so. However the sight of this silly girl with the second most important crown in the Fire Nation had thrown her, perhaps it was how out of place it seemed? Or was it perhaps that having another girl next to her, especially one as... interesting? As Ty Lee was. Regardless she found her eyes searching the girls braid for the crown.

"Ty Lee, I am perfectly fine." a simple little lie, she noted that the lithe form before her went to protest but simply nodded and gave a simple "Of course Princess" before leaving the tent. Watching her friend... no comrade leave Azula frowned there was something about that girl. Slowly she got up and dressed, it was before dawn, Ty Lee was up before the sun, that was far from normal, had she woken the other girl by her dream? Or was Ty Lee truly that in tune to her princess's emotional state?

Leaving her tent the heir to the throne began her morning routine firebending kata the second the sun was up blue flames leapt from her fingertips and feet as she went through simple and advance forms, a small acrobat slept nearby. Ty Lee in the habit of sleeping outside of a tent on calm nights. The Princess looked over at the sleeping chi blocker and rolled her eyes, lazy girl was up for barely a few moments then straight back to sleep. Azula smiled watching the slightly older girl sleep.

Then frowned what the hell was she smiling for? Certainly not just from watching the performer. No never. But still the other female did look peaceful. Azula sighed as she realised her morning routine was slightly broken by her people watching, the sheer time she had been watching dawned on her when she noticed Mai leaving her tent. From how far through her ritual she had gotten she assumed she had been staring for seventeen minutes and eighteen seconds.

She couldn't afford such a slip up, they were now in earth kingdom territory, away from the safety that the Fire Nations armies provided and while she was sure she could easily handle the peasants, she didn't wish to be out of practice or shape. Looking at her companions she sighed, while she had always been confident in her abilities, and was a prodigy, she was well aware she was human. And her father had given her a risky task, she was currently hunting the Avatar, her brother and uncle, and while she was sure she could easily handle her brother, her uncle did trouble her, while he had put on weight since his glory days he was still a firebender, one who at one point would have been able to match or beat her father.

* * *

Ty Lee looked at her princess as she practised, the other girl had no idea that she was being watched, after all who suspected an airhead. Smiling to herself as she noticed the other girl stop her Kata to stare, she continued watching out through her long eyelashes which hid her open eyes. She couldn't help but be confused by her leader, this morning she had woken as normal before anyone else, using the time to practice, preferring seeming like an airhead, who was just lucky when her friends were awake.

No when she had returned she had looked at Azula's tent and frowned, her aura just radiated so many conflicting things, on one hand she still had the normal commanding aura she usually held but at the same time she now had other swirling colours that Ty Lee couldn't place. Well she could place them but not regarding the Princess, confusion, rage and shock. She had never seen Azula anything but perfectly calm and composed, nothing ever seemed to confuse her.

So she had done what she thought was the right thing, try and make sure she was okay, after all she cared for the other female, maybe more than she should but, she couldn't help it, something about her made the acrobat feel, giddy, is that the word she wanted? Who knows, but then she made a mistake rather than just calling into the tent she had gone in and gotten close.

As she nudged the other girl and softly spoke her name she got far too close, if Azula had been anyone else she could of moved but before she even registered what was happening she had pointed nails practically on her nose. She made quick excuses and then left she needed more sleep it was too early to deal with Azula and her confusing emotions regarding her.

She noted just how long Azula watched her and fought down a smirk, maybe there was hope after all. She crushed that thought the second she had it. Of course there wasn't. There was never hope.

A call of her name made her slowly fake waking up to look out her open tent at the Princess who was sat by Mai eating... who knows what Mai had cooked, but it smelt good so she rolled out her tent up onto her feet, she would walk over on her hands but she did intent on eating, grabbing herself some of the spiced sausages that lightly tingled in her mouth she smiled why did there have to be a war why couldn't she just be a normal girl not on some secret mission just hiding out in the woods camping.

Azula looked up and to the side away from the food. Mai gave her a puzzled look then also darted her vision that way, Ty Lee gave them a puzzled look before hearing footsteps, and shouts. Ty Lee looked as she did she noted Azula jump up a small blast of cerulean destroying a rock flying towards them. She gave a squeak before cartwheeling to the side to avoid a series of small rocks, knives flew past hitting a couple of their assailants felling them.

As the acrobat tried to get to grips with the situation she had to jump high as an ostridge-horse rider came barrelling at her his spear ramming towards her chest she landed on the animals back just behind the attacker and after a quick couple of jabs he was down.

* * *

Azula looked around, another bolder flew towards her she quickly shattered it with lightning, following with another short kick sending flames at the man who had sent it, he was hit. He didn't get back up. A fast flip and a wave of flames shot forwards towards another two men who raised a wall against it, it shattered but stopped the flames.

Nearby Azula watched Mai dispatching a half dozen men, knives and arrows flying off her into them, she was glad the girl was there, while she didn't worry about her, it was more she didn't want dead weight around and this fight was proving that Mai was capable. However Ty Lee seemed to be far from useless, contrary to what she expected she was dealing with several opponents, her quick movements and contortions enabling her to dodge most attacks before sudden accurate jabs stopped the attackers in their tracks.

Returning to her fighting Azula sent out three blast of fire towards three attackers each threw up a wall which made her smile moving fast so she would be by the wall the first one had raised, as he moved it down to attack he was countered, a hand flew to his chest a lightning bolt shocking him, she dropped to a knee as a boulder soared past her before spinning and kicking her leg outwards a spiral of flame taking another earthbender out just as a spear came at her face, she moved quickly hands moving up coated in flames, shattering the wooden pole.

A short punch and blast of fire and the spear-man was felled, as the heir to the throne looked around she noted she was in a bit of an awkward situation, she would never say she was in a bad situation, after all she was only surrounded by a few earth peasants. Quickly she moved as the first slab did, she dodge it hoping it would sail past and take out another but he grabbed it and sent it at her, a quick flame coated kick and it shattered a rapid set of punches sending flames out removed him from the fight.

One down. Nine to go. Smirking at situation the princess attacked blue flames shooting out from her as she quickly moved through forms, she switch periodically between defence and offence as they returned her assault with their own but really she was easily in cont- crack, a smaller rock got through, it hit her temple and she rapidly grew dizzy, she heard voices as her vision darkened the soldiers moved forwards, no she couldn't die like this, and as she saw them go to do the final act a spear point over her throat, she heard her name screamed as the lithe form she had watched sleep earlier, moved over impossibly quickly.

Her vision was darkening but she noticed she now held two fans, and was moving with more speed and grace than usual, and the wind seemed to pick up in the area as she watched her friend attack. Black.

* * *

Ty Lee had seen the rock but had been powerless to stop it as she watched it strike she felt something snap inside her, she screamed out the Princess's name and ran towards her, spirits be damned, she needed to save the other girl she couldn't lose Azula. Her hands moved up into her loose sleeves, grabbing two very well hidden fans. She leapt into the air spinning, as she did she opened the fans. Each time she bought the fans towards the ground a soldier was sent flying backwards, bouncing along the ground, hit by a gust of wind. Each time she raised them they went skywards, sent as far away as the acrobat could manage.

Closing the fans she ducked under a spear and struck with them, the hard wooden and metal tips striking pressure points as well as her fingers disabling the attackers. Moving quickly a wide kick sending an air blade out taking out another three men. Looking around she saw one last man, wide eyed and confused but she had none the less needed to attack. Leaping at him he sent a boulder her way snapping her fans open and a quickly flicking her wrist propelled her sideways, a series of small flips, tumbles and cartwheels, bought her to her opponents side, she thrust her hand out, a blast of air striking a stone wall, a leap over it resulted in a strike by a stone taking her off balance, a small spin righting herself a small jab then a wide kick sending fast moving blasts at the earth bender.

Easily defending them he smirked, while he thought the air nomads were extinct, and had no idea why if one did exist it would be helping the fire nation, what he did know was this little girl was no match for him. Smirking at how close she had gotten he did a fast series of punches to propel several small rocks at her she easily evaded each one with a series of quick movements before darting forwards, experienced hands jabbing him repeatedly, his body went limp, then took to the air as she used the small fans again moving them in a cross the gust slamming into his chest.

Mai was still fighting nearby but shouldn't have noticed any of what the acrobat had done, she threw her fans aside, she would be able to recover them later on. She ran to the princess's crumpled form and dropped down. She checked the girls pulse, it was strong, she would be perfectly fine, other than a headache. Ty Lee lifted the girls head onto her lap and smiled. Her princess was okay.

* * *

Azula sat on her throne, smiling she knew what would happen, the cartwheeling female entered, doing the same motions, kissing her quickly before seating, Azula was still confused by the same things but this time it occurred to her that, this meant the Fire Lady had just cartwheeled into a war meeting. When Ty Lee was her Fire Lady, she would never embarrass Azula like that. That thought gave her pause, why would she have Ty Lee as her Fire Lady.

Before she could think more on the matter a blast of fire came her way. The scenario played out exactly the same, but despite knowing when and where the blades came from she couldn't stop them. Knowing the exact second she punched cerulean only for the spot to be empty, coming from a different unexpected angle. Yet again, Ty Lee acted, and yet again she saved her. This time, she didnt strike pressure points, she did it was a wave of the hand.

* * *

Ty Lee looked around an old abandoned temple. Ruins hidden upside down. She walked slowly down the hallways, exploring the ancient home. She had been here before, when she was younger, with her grand parents. She entered the room that held the statues of the Avatar and looked as the thousands of statues curled downwards into an ever darker abyss, the statue of Avatar Roku at her level, each previous avatar somewhere below her, she remembered wanting to climb down the stair cases and look at each statue.

She turned on her heel and walked out of this room to where the old council chamber would have been as she pushed open the huge heavy doors, she was confronted instead by the throne room of the Fire Palace. She stepped in, and noticed six men heads on the ground, in front of the flame curtain. Behind the wall of fire she noticed a familiar outline, and for the first time she noticed the colour. Blue.

She did the only thing she could think of at that moment, she cartwheeled up to the dais and over the flames. If this was a dream, she was taking full advantage. She leant down and gave the Fire Lord a chaste kiss and dropped to sit next to her. She finally noticed two things, one her own clothes, which were now the more formal ones expected of the Fire Lady, and she noticed she had something in her braid right at the top, she was tempted to touch it but decided to watch and see what happened.

She noticed the Fire Lord look her way briefly, and so turned her eyes to look at the other female, she gave a small smile and noticed that the other young woman moved quickly, blocking a blast of fire that would of connected with Ty Lee barely a moment later. She watched as Azula begun the fight, she smiled slightly at the fire bender as she watched the short fight, not once with Azula defending her fearing she was in danger.

Then the knives flew. Ty Lee acted as fast as she could a small move of her arm, sending a blast of air at the attacker. Knocking the newcomer to the floor, then jumped forwards, she approached the prone form, who she started to turn over to work out who she was when she felt her body shake.

"Who said you could get in bed with me" she heard a beautiful voice shout as she was shoved aside, then she realised where she was. Laying next to the Crown Princess of the Fire Nation. She looked up and saw a swirling aura above her and saw its owner half glaring down at her, half giving a confused look.

Ty Lee quickly sat up, her cheeks colouring, and her eyes gazing at the floor, "I'm sorry 'Zula, just after you got hurt I didn't want to leave your side and thought it would be okay" she mumbled the princess still looking down on her. She heard a quiet sigh and looked up at the taller female who rolled her eyes "I'm fine Ty Lee, you had no need to be worried about me" Azula slowly left the tent leaving the acrobat to her thoughts.

Ty Lee looked out of the tent it was sunrise. She never slept in that late, sleeping next to the princess had broken her routine, was it just fear for the other girls health or... no she promised she wouldn't go down that road again.

* * *

Azula walked away from her tent and examined the area around them rocks from the battle, and scorch marks. She walked towards where she had fallen. She remembered what she had been against. Remembered seeing the smaller girl move over to fight her attackers. How had she won.

Replaying the fight in her mind, she tried to work out where she slipped up moving through the stances, kicks and punches against memories but sending no flames. She went to do one kick and saw something familiar resting on the floor. Striding over she knelt to grab the object, a pair of fans, red and black, ancient combat fans that became popular during the time of Avatar Kyoshi. They had fire nation designs all over them, but while it was old she knew it instantly, this was Ty Lee's, she had bought this for her birthday the year she left for the circus.

Looking to the tent where the other female was still hidden away Azula opened and closed one of the fans looking around the battlefield, wondering why it was here. Snapping it closed she walked towards her tent, pulling the flap back she looked inside ready to berate the girl inside for still being in her tent. Closed eyes and soft breaths made her pause, she was staring again, this time she didn't stare for as long. She knelt down and placed the fans next to the smaller females chest and gulped at how close she had gotten.

Her eyes went to the acrobats lips wondering if they were as soft in reality as in her dream. She began to lean in then stopped. She rapidly left the tent. She was not some lecher taking advantage of a sleeping woman.


End file.
